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Game Notes
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 20th-ranked Christopher Newport men's basketball team will return to the hardwood tonight against Eastern Mennonite University (7-3) after an 11-day layoff due to final exams. The Captains, who have started the year 5-1 overall, will tip off against the high-powered Royals offense at 5:30 pm Monday evening, with live stats and live video available at CNUsports.com.
Eastern Mennonite is coming off a 112-point performance in a win over Maryland Bible in the Don Glick Classic this weekend, where they also suffered an overtime loss to Wesley College. The Captains suffered their lone loss of the early season in their last time out, at No. 24 St. Mary's (Md.) on December 5.
CNU is getting tremendous production from its top three players
Tra Benefield,
Mike Cherry and
Nik Biberaj. All three are averaging over 15 points per game while logging 30 minutes per game or more. Benefield is the team leader in rebounding, with 8.6 boards per game, and is second on the squad in scoring with 17.8 points per contest. Cherry, earlier this season named to the D3hoops.com National Team of the Week, is the team's high scorer with 19.7 points in 37.2 minutes per game. And Biberaj has been filling the stat sheet with 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game.
The Royals have been a potent offense in the early going this season, averaging 82.5 points per game as a team. Leading the way is senior wing Andrew Thorne, averaging a team-high 17.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game so far this season. Two more Eastern Mennonite players are averaging double figures, as R.J. Sims and Dajon Daniel have added 13.2 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.
Tip is set for 5:30 pm with the gates open at 4:30 pm in the Freeman Center. It is the final game before the holiday break for CNU, who will return to action at home in the Holiday Inn Captains Shootout on December 28-29.
Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Freeman Center to receive a free general admission ticket. All toys will be given to designated families via the Boys and Girls Club of Newport News.
